Piano-action.



S. R. PERRY.

PIANO ACTION.

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PIANO ACTION.

APPLIOAT ION nun NOV. 22. 1904.

900,306. Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

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SAMUEL R. PERRY, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANO-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed November 22, 1904. Serial No. 233,874.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL PERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Piano-Actions, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures and letters marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in piano actions in which a backchecking device of peculiar powers is rigidly attached to the extendedarm of each of the hammer butts and operates in conjunction with a backchecking rail, a jack tripping rail and the jacks, by means of which thehammers of an action are slightly retarded in their movements toward thestrings and held in check after they have struck the strings, in whichalso springs mounted on a roller provide a retracting force of varyingpower upon the jacks, all of which together with some minor improvementsare more fully explained hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a section of myimproved action as applied to an upright piano, showing the variousparts in their normal positions or at rest, and an end view of the barand the back-check rails and regulating rails attached thereto and ofthe spring rail. Fig. 2 repre sents the positions of the various partsafter the key has been pressed and the hammer has retracted from thestrings. Fig. 3 shows a horizontal view of a section of the continuousbar 12 bearing the back check rail on its top surface and the let-off orregulating rail on its lower edge, and the adjusting plates or cleatsused to hold and regulate the rails. Fig. 4 is a perspective view andFig. 5 a plan view of the hammer-butt showing the rib formed on itsforwardly extending portion, which is made by frazing out each side ofthe hammer-butt. Fig. 6 is a view of the backcheck showing more fullythe manner in which the cushions are attached thereto. Fig. 7 representsa portion of an iron bracket in general use in upright piano actions,but adapted to support the horizontal bar 12 as well as the action rail7. Fig. 8 is a top view of the jack lever showing the frazings and holethrough which the cord attached to the jack and the spring passes, andFig. 9 shows the spring rail attached to the action rail by means of aflange adapted to the purpose.

In Fig. 1, 1 is the key resting upon the key frame 76. f. of which theupper lines only are shown.

2 is an extension connecting the key 1 with the jack lever 3.

4 is the jack jointed to the jack lever and operating under the straightunder surface of the extended hammer-butt 5. The hammerbutts 5, thedampers 6 and the jack levers 3 are jointed to the rail 7 by means ofthe flanges A. B. (1, in the usual manner. Secured to the forwardlyextending portion of the hammer-butt on its angular surface 8 is a backcheck 9 made of thin material, usually brass, and about one-quarter ofan inch wide. Referring to Fig. 6, the lower end of the back checkcovered by the cushions 10 and 10 is first covered with sheep skinfirmly glued to the brass and wrapped with fine thread. The shoe skinassumes a curved shape reaching rom e. to f. Upon the sheep skin thecushions 10 and 10 are glued, forming a firm and noiseless back check.The upper end of the jack 4 is formed with a circular projection 11designed to come in contact with the back check cushion 10 as shown inFig. 2. The bar 12 is made to extend the full length of the action alongthe face of the jacks and back checks, and may be held rigidly in placein any manner usual. I prefer to fasten the bar 12 to the iron bracketswhich support the action in the piano. section of such a bracket 30 isshown in Fig. 7. But in order not to complicate the drawings I show thebar 12 sustained in position by means of metal arms 13, a number ofwhich may be screwed into the rail 7 and the bar 12 attached thereto bymeans of screws as shown at 14. This bar 12 is used to support inposition the round back check rail, or

rails 15, and the regulating rail or rails 16.-

The back check rail 15 may be made in one length, or in sections of anylength suitable to operate in conjunction with two or any greater numberof acks and their corresponding back checks in succession. It ispreferably made of metal in the form of a tube, is polished, and thetube filled Wholly or in part with hard wood. It may also be made in acheaper form of wood doweling with the surface which is operated upon bythe cushion 10, black leaded and polished. To the tube is riveted orsoldered flat oblong pieces of brass or other metal as shown by 17 inFig. 3 and in Figs. 1 and 2. One end of this plate of metal or cleat isslotted out as shown by 17, Fig. 3, so that a screw may pass through bywhich means the rails 15 and 16 are firmly held to the bar 12 and may beadjusted with relation to the jacks and back checks as found necessaryto the proper working of the action. The foot 18 attached to the jack 4is made of stout but flexible wire, the exposed end of which is shapedlike a spoon and may be bent more or less if found necessary, to adjustit to the cushion on the rail 16. The upper end of the jack 4 is slottedout or has a hole bored through it and hushed 19. A wire 20 attached tothe under side of the hammerbutt and bent to a line parallel theretopasses through the slotted portion or hole 19 of the jack. A cushion 21is also attached to the under side of the hammer-butt and rests againstthe wire 20, and the upper end of the jack 4 presses against thiscushion when the action is at rest. In the downward movement of the jack4 the wire 20 is operated upon by the upper edge of the slot or hole 19by which means the hammer 23 is quickly forced away from the string 24.

In order to make the hammer-butt 5 as light as possible, 1 fraze outeach side of the forwardly extending portion, the frazing extending fromback of the hammer-shank 26 to within a short distance of the hammerbuttheel 8 as shown by the curved line 22 in Figs. 1 and 2 and in Figs. 4and 5. This frazing leaves a rib D having the general outlines of theupper surface of the hammerbutt which makes it light and strong andtends to keep it from warping. The heel 8 of the hammer-butt is formedat an angle to its straight under side, holding the back check 9 inposition so that in operation the cushion 10 of the back check may comein contact with the rail 15 just before the hammer 23 reaches thestrings 24, or at about the instant that the foot 18 of the jack 4 comesin contact with the regulating rail 16. Thus while the hammer isperfectly free to operate before the back check comes in contact withthe rail 15, this contact is suflicient to exert a slight retractinginfluence upon the hammer, just before and directly after the hammerstrikes the strings.

The springs 25 are mounted upon a round rail 27, which may be made torevolve more orless upon its center28 in order to strengthen or weakenas desired the back pull on the jacks 4. The rail carries one spring foreach jack. The spring is attached to the jack by means of the cord 9,which passes through a hole h bored diagonally through the jack lever 3.See Figs. 1, 2 and 8. By this means in contact.

the tension on the spring may be varied and the jack 4 pulled. backtoward the cushion 21 with more or less force, as desired, while at thesame time the downward pull of the spring is exerted to replace theaction in its normal position and. help balance the keys.

The spring rail 27 may be attached to the action rail 7 by means of anumber of flanges, one I of which is shown in Fig. 9, and may be made torevolve as much as necessary to strengthen. or weaken the springs 25 bymeans of an arm J attached to the rail and connected to a draw stop L asshown, or it may be connected to a foot pedal in the usual manner.

The operation of the action is as follows: When the key 1 is pressed,its back end tilts up, forcing up the jack lever 3 and jack 4 by meansof the extension 2. The jack 4 in contact with the cushioned under sideof the hammer-butt 5 drives the hammer 23 to wards the strings 24. Justas the hammer arrives within. onequarter of an inch from the strings thefeet 1.8 of the jack 4 comes in contact with the cushion on the rail 16and the back check cushion 10 reaches the rail 15. Just at this time thecontact of the cushion 10 with the rail 15 has a slight retracting forceupon the hammer 23 because the back check 9 which carries the cushion1.0 is rigidly attached at its upper end to the forward end of thehammer butt 5, at 8, and is made of material that will eXert a slightresisting force to the forward movement of the hammer when the cushion10 and the rail 15 are The continued upward movement of the parts tendsto force the round projection 11 on the upper end of jack 4 for ward toa contact with the inner side of the back-check cushion 10 and pressingthe cushion tightly against the rail 15, holds the hammer in check aftera blow until released for another stroke. So rapid is the movement ofthe jack, forced backward towards the cushion 21 by the spring 25attached to the rail 27 and operating to retract the jack 4 by means ofthe cord 9 which passes through a hole H in the jack lever 3, and soinstant the operation of the upper end of the jack 19 on the wire 20,that an exceedingly rapid movement of the hammer against the strings maybe made. As each section of the rails 15 and 16 has but two or at mostthree adjusting plates or cleats 17, it will be seen that theadjustments necessary may quickly be made. Whatever small discrepanciesmay occur in which the feet 18 may be out of line can easily be adjustedby bending the feet up or down until the line is perfect.

Having thus fully described my invention, 1 make the following claims:

1. A piano action comprising an action rail, a bar rigidly sustained inposition forward of and parallel with the action rail, back check railsmounted on the bar and ad justable to and from the action rail, andmeans to support the action rail and the bar, substantially as setforth.

2. A piano action comprising an action rail, a bar sustained in positionparallel with the action rail, back check rails adjustably mounted onthe bar, rails adjustably attached to the under side of the bar andmeans to support the bar and rails and the action rail, substantially asset forth.

3. A piano action comprising an action rail, a bar sustained in positionforward of and parallel with the action rail, back check railsadjustably mounted on the bar, means to sustain the action rail and thebar, a series of hammers and hammer-butts jointed to the action rail, aseries of jack levers jointed to the action rail, a series of jacks,each ointed to one of the jack levers, and a series of back checks, theupper end of each rigidly attached to the forward end of a hammer butt,said back checks extending downward between the jacks and the back checkrails substantially as set forth.

L. A piano action consisting of an action rail supported in a horizontalposition by two or more brackets, a series of hammers and hammer-buttsjointed to the action rail, a series of jack levers jointed to theactionrail and a series of jacks each jointed to one of the jack leversand each jack provided with a circular projection and a foot, a seriesof back checks, the hammer-butts each having a back check attached toits forward portion, the back check extending downward facing itscorresponding jack, a bar held in a horizontal position at right anglesto and facing the jacks and back checks, means to sustain the bar, oneor more back check rails adjustably secured to the bar and one or moreregulating rails adjustably attached to the bar, substantially as setforth.

5. A piano action consisting in part of an action rail supported inposition, a series of hammers and hammer-butts jointed to the actionrail, and a series of jack levers jointed to the action rail, a seriesof jacks each j ointed to one of the jack levers, each 'ack providedwith a foot, a series of depending back checks each attached to thefront surface of one of the hammer-butts, a bar sustained in position atright angles to and facing the back check, and jacks, one or more backcheck rails adjustably secured to the bar and one or more regulatingrails adjustably attached to the bar, substantially as set forth.

6. A piano action consisting of an action rail supported in position, aseries of hammers and hammer-butts jointed to the action rail, a seriesof jack-levers ointed to the action rail and a series of acks eachointed to one of the jack-levers, each jack provided with a bushed holeat its upper end, a Wire attached to the under side of each hammerbutt,said wire extending in a line parallel with the underside of the hammerbutt and passing through the bushed hole of its corresponding jack, incombination with a spring rail, springs mounted thereon, and each jackconnected to its corresponding spring, whereby the jack in its downwardmovement forces the hammer butt from the strings, substantially as setforth.

7. A piano action consisting of an action rail, two or more bracketssustaining the action rail, a series of hammers and hammerbutts jointedto the action rail, a series of jack levers jointed to the action rail,and a series of jacks each jointed to one of the ack levers, incombination with a rail, a series of springs mounted thereon a loop ofpliable material connecting each jack with its corresponding spring andmeans to support the spring rail, substantially as set forth.

8. A piano action consisting of an action rail, two or more bracketssustaining the action rail, a series of hammers and hammerbutts jointedto the action rail, a series of jack levers jointed to the action railand a series of acks each jointed to one of the jack levers, incombination with a rail, a series of springs mounted thereon a 100composed of cord or other pliable materiaFconnecting each jack with itscorresponding spring, substantially as set forth.

9. In a piano action the combination of a spring rail j ournaled intoflanges, the action rail, the flanges attached to the action rail, jacklevers jointed to the action railand the jacks each jointed to one ofthe jack levers, springs mounted on the rail, a loop of pliable materialattached to each jack, each jack lever having a hole bored through itsbody, through which the loop passes in connecting the jack to itscorresponding spring, substantially as set forth.

10. A piano action consisting of an action rail, two or more bracketssustaining the action rail, a series of hammers and hammerbutts jointedto the action rail, a series of jack levers jointed to the action railand a series of jacks each jointed to one of the jack levers, the jackseach provided with a bushed hole at its upper end, a wire attached tothe under side of eachof the hammer-butts, the wire bent to assume aline parallel with the under side of the hammer-butt and said wirepassing through the bushed hole of its corre sponding jack, incombination with a rail, springs mounted on said rail, a loop of pliablematerial attached to each of the jacks and each spring hooked into itscorresponding loop, substantially as set forth.

11. In a piano action the combination of a rail, springs mountedthereon, an action rail supported in position, a series of hammerbuttsjointed to the action rail, jack levers jointed to the action rail andjacks each jointed to one of the jack levers, a cord or other pliablematerial forming a loop attached to each of the jacks and connected toits corresonding spring, the jacks operating under the hammer-butts, thespring rail journaled in supports and means to move the spring rail,whereby the springs may be varied in tension, substantially as setforth.

12. A piano action consisting of an action rail, a bar running parallelwith the action rail, two or more action brackets supporting the actionrail and the bar, one or more back check rails attached to the bar andone or more regulating rails secured. to the bar, a series of hammersand. hammer-butts jointed to the action rail, a series of jack .leversjointed to the action rail and a series of jacks each ointed to one ofthe jack levers, a series of back checks each of which. is attached tothe forward portion of a hammer-butt and extends downward between theback check rail and its corresponding jack, the jacks each provided witha feet, a rounded pro j ection and a bushed hole, a wire secured to theunderside of each hammer-butt, the wire bent in a line parallel to saidunderside and operating through the bushed hole of the jack, a railjournaled in flanges and the flanges attached to the action. rail,springs mounted on the spring rail, a loop of pliable material attachedto each of the jacks, said loop passing through the j ack levers andconneeted to its corresponding spring, substantially as set forth.

13. In a piano action the hammers and hammer-butts each hammer-butthaving a forwardly extending portion, a back check comprising a mainbody of thin material its lower end covered on both sides with cushionsand its upper end rigidly attached to the forward end of thehammer-butt, substantially as set forth.

14. In a piano action the combination of a spring rail suitably held inposition, an action rail held in position, a series of acklevers jointedto the action. rail, a series of jacks, each j aek jointed to one of thej acklevers, springs mounted on the spring rail, a loop of pliablematerial attached to each jack, each jack lever having a hole boredthrough its body through which the loop passes in connecting the jack toits corresponding spring, susbtantially as set forth.

15. In a piano action an action rail supported in a horizontal position,a bar sustained in a horizontal position forward of the action rail, oneor more back check rails adjustably mounted on the bar, and one or morerails adjustably suspended from the bar and means to support the actionrail and the bar, substantially as set forth.

16. A piano action consisting of an action rail held in position as setforth, a series of hammer-butts and hammers jointed to the action rail,a series of jack levers jointed to the action rail and a series of jackseach jointed to one of the ack levers, a series of back checks eachattached to the forward end of one of the l1Zll1'1I116l'*l)11l1lJS andextending downward in front of its COl'lt-BSPOIldlll" jack, one or moreback check rails sustaine( in a horizontal position at right angles tothe back checks, and one or more regulating rails sustained in ahorizontal position at right angles to the jacks, substantially as setforth.

17. In a piano action a spring rail sustained in position, sprin smounted thereon, a series of hammr-ir-butts, a series of jack levers anda series of jacks, each ack jointed to one of the jack levers, and eachjack suitably connected to its corresponding spring for the purposesubstantially as set forth.

1.8. A piano action comprising an action rail sustained in a horizontalposition, a bar sustained forward of and parallel with the action rail,adjustable back check rails mounted on the bar, and adjustable railssuspended from the bar, means to hold the action rail and the bar inproper relation to each other, a series of hammers and hammer buttsointed to the action rail, a series of jack levers jointed to the actionrail, and a series of jacks each jointed to one of the jack levers, aseries of back checks each rigidly attached at its upper end. to theforward end of a hammer-butt and extending downward between itscorresponding jack and the back check rail, the back check adapted tocome in contact with the back check rail when the action parts are inoperation, whereby a slight retracting influence is exerted against theforward movement of the hammer, substantially as set forth.

19. A piano action comprising an action rail sustained in a horizontalposition, a bar sustained in position forward of and parallel with theaction rail an adjustable back check rail mounted on the bar, and anadjustable rail suspended from the bar, means to support the action railand the bar, a series of hammers and hammer-butts jointed to the actionrail, a series of jack levers jointed to the action rail, a series ofjacks each jointed to one of the jack levers, and the foot of each jackadapted to come in contact with the rail suspended from the bar, aseries of back checks each rigidly attached at its upper end to theforward end of a hammer-butt, the back-checks extendin downward betweenthe back check rail and the jacks, whereby when the action is inoperation each back check is held in contact between its correspondingjack and the back check rail, and the hammer held rigidly after a blowsubstantially as set forth.

20. In a piano action a bar sustained in a horizontal position, a backcheck rail or rails adjustably mounted on the bar, and a regulating railor rails adjustahly attached to the bar, the hammers and hammer-butts,each rail adapted to be adjusted to a series of jack 10 hammer-butthaving a forwardly extended feet substantially as set forth. portion,the jacks and jack-levers, the jacks In testimony whereof I have signedmy having feet and adapted to operate under lname to this specificationin the presence of 5 the hammer-butts, a series of back checks, twosubscribing witnesses.

each back check attached to the forward SAMUEL R. PERRY. portion of oneof the hammer-butts, each Witnesses:

back check rail ada ted to be adjusted to a GEO. W. POWER,

series of back checks, and each regulating l IRA ORR.

